Sugiyama was drafted in the first round of the 1992 amateur draft by the Seibu Lions, and won the Japanese rookie of the year award in 1993, making 54 appearances with a 2.80 ERA. His pitching deteriorated from then on, and he was traded to the Hanshin Tigers in mid-1999. He was traded to the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes in mid-2000, and was traded for the third time in his career in mid-2001 to the Yokohama BayStars. He made 32 appearances with the BayStars in 2001, but retired at the end of the season.